As motor car ownership in Vietnam continues to rise and a greater number of customers visit service centers, expectations of the overall service initiation process have increased, according to the J.D. Power 2018 Vietnam Customer Service Index (CSI) Study released on January 29.

As was the case in 2017, service initiation in 2018 had the lowest satisfaction score among all five factors contributing to satisfaction in the overall service experience. Though more customers are making service appointments in advance (90 per cent in 2018 vs. 66 per cent in 2017), the study found that fewer customers were “delighted” with the ease of scheduling their service visit last year (12 per cent vs. 16 per cent) and a higher proportion of customers were required to wait for three days or more between booking the appointment and the actual service date (38 per cent vs. 28 per cent).

“With an increasing number of car owners booking their services via websites or mobile apps, there are now greater expectations from customers about higher standards in online service booking platforms,” said Mr. Siros Satrabhaya, Regional Director, Automotive Practice, at J.D. Power.

“It is vital that dealers ensure a seamless customer journey from the point of initiation online to the actual service premises. Customers are increasingly sensitive to waiting times and with more service delays being experienced, dealers need to focus on productivity by addressing the growing service volume and responsiveness of service advisors.”

The study found that customers who had to wait to speak to a service advisor are less satisfied than those who were approached by their advisor immediately upon arrival at the service center (773 vs. 838, respectively). Furthermore, while customers reported a shorter average handover time at the service center than in 2017 (22 minutes vs. 29 minutes, respectively), customers whose vehicle handover lasted only ten minutes or less were more satisfied than those who had to wait for longer than ten minutes (846 vs. 820, respectively).

Among the eight brands ranked in the study, Toyota was highest for the third consecutive year, with a CSI score of 837 points. It performed particularly well in service facility and service quality.

The 2018 Vietnam Customer Service Index Study measured overall satisfaction among vehicle owners who visited an authorized dealer or service center for maintenance or repair work during the first 12 to 60 months of ownership. The study is based on responses from 1,295 new-vehicle owners who took their vehicle to an authorized dealer or service center for a service between June 2017 and December 2018. The study was conducted online between June and December 2018.

Now in its tenth year, the study measures new-vehicle owner satisfaction with the after-sales service experience, by examining dealership performance in five factors (in order of importance): service quality (24 per cent), service initiation (21 per cent), vehicle pickup (20 per cent), service advice (18 per cent), and service facility (17 per cent).